A Hezbollah flag flying on the roof of a car passing in front of a billboard featuring President Joseph Aoun, amid the flow of displaced people returning to the south following the announcement of a cease-fire in Lebanon, in Saida, southern Lebanon, on June 15, 202. (Credit: AFP)
President Joseph Aoun assured that the negotiations conducted by the government with Israel remain "independent" from the agreement on the verge of being concluded between the United States and Iran.
"The assurances that have been given to us, and on which we insist, are that Lebanon is following its own path in the negotiations ... It is the Lebanese state that is conducting the negotiations. It is the master of its decisions, and no one can substitute for it. Any agreement will be concluded through us, and not at our expense," the head of state said in a statement published on X by the presidency.
He nevertheless said he was "in favor of a cease-fire and any aid provided by any country, including Iran," while an "immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon" is planned according to the memorandum of understanding that Washington and Tehran are set to sign Friday in Switzerland.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri received General Diodato Abagnara, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), at Ain al-Tineh on Wednesday, and reaffirmed "the importance of maintaining this force in accordance with the mandate given to it by Resolution 1701 until its full implementation," as well as his support "for the Lebanese army in its mission to deploy to the international border as soon as the Israeli war against Lebanon ends and Israeli forces withdraw behind the internationally recognized border."
Despite this announcement, Israeli bombardments have continued in the south of the country since Sunday, causing several deaths, despite a relative decrease in the intensity of the fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.
Nabatieh remains at center of Israeli attacks, advances